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Web-only letters to the editor, Aug. 19, 2014

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Tuesday August 19, 2014 11:52 AM

Dispatch.com regularly will post letters to the editor that don't make it to print in The
Dispatch. Unlike letters to the editor that appear in the newspaper, Web-only letters have not been
edited.

Remember Kent State

Ferguson, MO is reminiscent of Kent State University in 1970. I was a freshman at Ohio State
University, demonstrating with hundreds of others for students rights and an end to the war in Viet
Nam. The demonstrations began on the Oval and escalated to the college buildings nearby. Initially,
most of the protests were peaceful and non-violent, until the National Guard came on the scene.
Then all hell broke loose. Small fires were set in buildings sending the NG and fire department
from one building to another; stores on High St. were looted; the NG threw tear gas canisters into
the crowds of students; students threw rocks at the NG; students were arrested. All the while, OSU
leadership, or lack thereof, ignored our pleas. Both sides were tense and afraid of each other. You
could sense that something bad was about to happen. Then came the news from Kent State; four
students killed by the NG. Everyone involved at OSU was remorseful for the Kent State students but
thankful that it did not happen there. Ferguson, Take a lesson from Kent State. Remove the war
games, acknowledge the protesters pleas, and avoid anymore tragedies.

Robert A. Eubanks Sr., Reynoldsburg

Rail travel

Will Columbus ever get passenger rail? That’s a question I’ve been asking myself since I
moved to this wonderful city a few years ago. Columbus is a great city for young people like myself
who are looking for excitement and growth. However, the city lacks in one major regard, we have no
passenger rail service.

Columbus is the third largest metropolis nationwide without Amtrak train service, and the
largest nationwide without Amtrak bus or train service. As the population of this city continues to
get younger with college students and recent graduates moving here, the city planners must take
note that access to public transit within cities is important to millennials, as is intercity
public transportation.

Without passenger rail service to other cities, Columbus is loosing out not only on
transportation for its own citizens, but also potential tourist money. Passenger rail service
nationwide is undergoing a resurgence, and continues to break records yearly as people turn to a
more environmentally and cost effective form of transportation over flying or driving.

During this renaissance in rail travel, it’s time Columbusites stand up and demand rail
travel for our great city.

Phillip Fierst, Columbus

Stamp of disapproval

The article in the August 15th Dispatch on the continuing default on payments to the retirees
health care fund is an ever amusing source of amusement to me. I know of no business forced
to submit to such draconian costs, is not permitted to run its' business as they see fit (congress
continues to undermine them but refuses to fund these "mandates"), and is forced to beg for revenue
increases as a result, with ongoing screams of being taken advantage of by those it serves.

I have such a simple solution to the issue, in spite of Congress and all the requirements
they impose: Every American citizen, beginning immediately, must purchase one first class
stamp per week more than they already do. Children, the elderly, the infirm, every government
employee, everyone. You need not use this stamp, but you must purchase one. The Postal
Service, which does a wonderful job moving our mail, remains hobbled by the public's increasing use
of the internet for banking, bill paying, announcements, and correspondence. It seems
that everyone thinks the mail needs to be delivered daily, at a fraction of its current cost, but
there are so few of us still using this service and someone has to pay the bills. You cannot
have it both ways. If you want a service to be there when you need it, you still have to pay
for it when you don't need/use it.

Anyone else interested in spending an additional 49 cents a week to keep it open?

Kathie Bailey, Lewis Center

Developing land

I think it's a shame that we are allowing natural land to continue to be developed in the
Graceland area. What natural area is left there needs to remain. Restaurants come and
go. Surely Raising Cane can move into a vacant spot when such becomes available, or try
another part of our fair City which has vacancies. Oakland Park Avenue in North Linden comes to
mind.

Sabrina Bobrow, Columbus

Abortion issue

Which human actions any politician favors and which he abhors as immoral should be
important. Whether his views depend on his faith, his reason, or on both, may be
important, but no human person lacks moral views. Religious people are not unique at
it. John Kerry, a Catholic, ran for President saying he was personally opposed to abortion
but said as a politician he supports its legality. Now, Ed Fitzgerald, a Catholic,
repeats that. But the question is whether abortion is immoral, and even more, whether it is
American. The basic premise justifying Uncle Sam's existence is that all men are created
equal. So the first American question is: ARE HUMAN BEINGS ONLY CREATED WHEN THEY ARE
BORN? No faith, only reason, can answer that.

Richard J. Rolwing, Reynoldsburg

Texting, driving

Following up my previous submissions on texting while driving, I have found an APP called
TXTSHIELD that disables texting from the phone while the car is moving. Any attempt to defeat the
APP will result in an automatic message to the custodian that the APP has been tampered with. I
urge ALL parents to use this feature to save the lives of their children as well as others. I
recommend that police agencies use this APP for anyone who is stopped for texting, or is involved
in any vehicular incident as a result or texting. The police agency or the court will be the
custodian.

Bill Ofsanik, Columbus

Data mess

In response to Friday's Dispatch article: "Cheating helped secure bonuses," I feel sorry for
the students whose schools were dropped a letter grade, especially from a D to an F. What
must they think upon returning to the same schools this fall? I imagine many students are
ashamed to say what school they are attending. This goes for the teachers as well. The
ones who received bonuses, but didn't have anything to do with the data scrubbing, must have mixed
feelings. The money is probably already spent, and I don't feel they should have to return it
anyway. But the principals who knowingly participated in the data rigging and received
bonuses because of this illegal activity, should return their bonuses, and apologize to their
teachers. What a mess!

Bernard Martin, Columbus

History lesson

I respond to Paul Nevai's rebuttal to Rick Matsumoto's rebuttal of Jack Willer's August 4
letter.

First: Nevai erred in accusing the Japanese people and Emperor Hirohito. Japan's entry into
WW2 was led by Japanese General Tojo, not Hirohito. The Emperor was, as is the Queen of England, a
figurehead.

Second: the United States had used up their entire nuclear arsenal of three atomic bombs in
1945; one bomb was a test weapon exploded on a western American desert, and the other two were
dropped amidst one of the most desperate charades carried out by President Truman to end the war.
Knowing he had only two A-bombs to use, Truman told the Japanese he had an ultimate weapon he would
use if Japan did not surrender. The Japanese military did not believe him so Hiroshima was bombed.
Tojo did not believe there were any more such bombs and again refused to surrender. Truman ordered
the second one dropped on Nagasaki, after which Japanese diplomats fell all over themselves trying
to prevent any more nuclear weapons from being dropped.

Nevai does not realize how lucky the United State was to have even three nukes which it did
use. U.S. Intelligence learned that Nazi Germany was furiously researching its own nuclear weapon.
They were also developing ways to deliver their bomb to American soil.

Learning this, FDR ordered our scientists to develop our own nuclear weapons, and eventually
three bombs were built. Our scientists used the first atomic device for testing. When it proved as
powerful as they thought, the remaining two were prepared for use on Japanese industrial centers.

There is much more to this historical sequence of events than Nevai seems to remember.

Stan Krider, Dublin

Rock talk

The article about the highway repair on Rt. 60 south of Duncan Falls, Ohio, published Monday
August 11, 2014 was a terrific article. Well written with a lot of information. I liked mostly the
description of the rock formations and how the ice age effected the soil in so many different ways.

However, there was a small bit of misleading information.

The area that was describes as the "narrows" is not about the highway. Although the highway
berm is narrow, the "narrows" was named long before the highway was built. "Narrows" refers to the
part of the Muskingum river that flows nearby. The river is very narrow beside the highway at the
point where work is being done.

Immediately south of where the work is being done exists rock formations at the bank of the
river. It is a great place to catch catfish and maybe some rough camping. Because the river is
narrow at that point, the current also is stronger there, making it a challenge to fish.